“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.”

Many of you know the rest of perhaps the most recognizable psalm in the bible. Psalm 23 is often read at funerals, said in times of trouble, and is the appointed psalm for evening prayer, tonight. 

Fitting.

What does it mean to not ‘be in want’? Surely, we want things and don’t get them, sometimes. From minor earthly wants like a new car or home, to major wants such as more time with loved ones before they die. Today, the latter hits hard. Not only with the recent loss of Judi, but also with the annual reminder of my father. He would’ve been 74 today. I want to see him. I want to hear his voice, his laugh, his insights. I want him back. But those are things that can’t happen, yet I still want them.

Am I in want?

In understanding the opening line of Psalm 23 in its intent, the word ‘want’ changes. When I accepted God and grace into my life, I have not wanted for love. Through death, through pain, through sadness, God provided shelter and grace. I understand, now, what those wants really are: desires. That’s different. I will always desire the presence of those I’ve lost in my life, that list being long and distinguished. Yet I do not exist in a state of want. God sustains me. Even through the immediate circumstances surrounding me, I feel the warmth of God’s embrace, the whisper of the Holy Spirit repeating the words, “You are loved, you are loved, you are loved…” Jesus Christ shines a light that pierces the darkness and with it I can see. I can see that joy comes in the mourning—the joy of having loved someone so much that I mourn their absence. I see that love is never lost, and that one day I, too, will look upon the face of God and be missed by those I leave behind.

I hope you can find solace in these words. We may never receive all of that which we desire. There will be hard times. We will want to give in, give up. We will want to run away from problems, want to hide from the world, want to simply sit down and cry. But if we remember our faith and live into it?

We shall not be in want.

Faithfully,

Fr. Sean+